The Family Room (The Quest)
Join co-hosts Mari Cleveland from St. Jude the Apostle and John Gordon and Craig Wesemeyer from St. Peter Chanel as they speak with authors, theologians, and local priests and lay leaders to provide your family encouragement, resources, and hope. Enjoy heartfelt stories and engaging conversations with Catholics who are excited to share their life experiences and acquired wisdom to help your family continue to live out your faith with joy.
Jan 29, 2025
Family Pilgrimages
Dave and Nina Hancharik, parents and grandparents
Dave Hancharik was our guest in August 2024 for the episode titled “The Gift of Autism,” where he shared the experience of raising a non-verbal child and how a program called “Spellers” helped give his son, Seth, a voice. In this episode we also have Dave’s wife, Nina, who shares his enthusiasm, pointing out that "Spellers" changed their family’s life, opening up more opportunities with Seth, who is one of 11 children.
Vacations with such a large family can be tricky, and since Nina was a recent convert, she looked for opportunities to learn more about Catholicism. It was this curiosity that led Nina to discover the Catholic tradition of pilgrimages - most often pointing to faraway places. While pilgrimages can be arduous and sacrificial, Nina learned the biggest difference between a pilgrimage and a vacation was that one was for fun while the other helped you grow in your faith. It was their large, blended family that sparked her interest in finding local places of religious interest to visit.
Nina became adept at finding religious places of interest and then scouring for locations nearby where she could help her family fall in love with the rich heritage of their Catholic faith while growing closer as a family. Even today, with five grandchildren, the Hanchariks love taking family pilgrimages.
While Dave shared in his previous episode that he was born Catholic and drifted away, Nina shares that she was born into a Presbyterian family in St. Louis, Missouri. Early in their marriage, Dave joined Nina in the Presbyterian Church and then both studied their way back into the Catholic Church after seven years. Dave and Nina successfully blended their family of 11 children, entering marriage with three young teens as part of Dave’s “upper five” joining Nina’s six children. Today they are the proud grandparents of five.
Resources:
Dave Hancharik was our guest in August 2024 for the episode titled “The Gift of Autism,” where he shared the experience of raising a non-verbal child and how a program called “Spellers” helped give his son, Seth, a voice. In this episode we also have Dave’s wife, Nina, who shares his enthusiasm, pointing out that "Spellers" changed their family’s life, opening up more opportunities with Seth, who is one of 11 children.
Vacations with such a large family can be tricky, and since Nina was a recent convert, she looked for opportunities to learn more about Catholicism. It was this curiosity that led Nina to discover the Catholic tradition of pilgrimages - most often pointing to faraway places. While pilgrimages can be arduous and sacrificial, Nina learned the biggest difference between a pilgrimage and a vacation was that one was for fun while the other helped you grow in your faith. It was their large, blended family that sparked her interest in finding local places of religious interest to visit.
Nina became adept at finding religious places of interest and then scouring for locations nearby where she could help her family fall in love with the rich heritage of their Catholic faith while growing closer as a family. Even today, with five grandchildren, the Hanchariks love taking family pilgrimages.
While Dave shared in his previous episode that he was born Catholic and drifted away, Nina shares that she was born into a Presbyterian family in St. Louis, Missouri. Early in their marriage, Dave joined Nina in the Presbyterian Church and then both studied their way back into the Catholic Church after seven years. Dave and Nina successfully blended their family of 11 children, entering marriage with three young teens as part of Dave’s “upper five” joining Nina’s six children. Today they are the proud grandparents of five.
Resources:
- The Family Room August 7, 2024, episode, “The Gift of Autism”
- Dave’s cell phone: 404-307-2824 and email: david.hancharik@viasat.com
- Nina's pilgrimage planner
- Catholic News Agency article: “Here's how to take a local Catholic pilgrimage in the U.S.”
